jig system?

General Discussion
1

just started my next 2 projects using hollow templates in 4mm ply. (why do 1 when you can do 2!) my question is, how do i build a jig for this way of building a board? the framework is so flimsy. id love some ideas…

2

Lookin good,

I am gearing up for a couple hollows as well and realize the “Jigs” will consume more time than the board minus the finish of course.

My first hollows, so the next post will have more experience than mine probably. Formalities out of the way, I am making seperate rocker bed/jigs to handle the lamming, glueing, clamping, forming, finishing for the top and bottom skins. Nice thing about having your “spine” pattern and “ribs”.

One way to stiffen up the frame is to secure the rails!

Good luck shifty, Keep the pics comin.

3

look through the archives for Paul Jensen’s posts. he does things the right way. also, lok for posts by wood ogre.

pat

4

I quit using complicated jigs after finished my first board. Found easier (and cheaper) to build them just supporting the stringer and glueing everything together after the main frame is ready.

For the last board I built a thick stringer using plywood and EPS, and served great as a jig to build the complete board. Look at the post “one more hws” for pictures.

Jack

5

Hey shifty,

This looks like a good idea:

http://www.airfieldmodels.com/information_source/how_to_articles_for_model_builders/tools/magnetic_building_board/index.htm

That way you wouldn’t have to build one jig for each board…

JSS

6

no way! what a great idea. thanks heaps for that. im gunna give it a go i recon.

that seems like a really good idea. no more sticking blocks to ply and wasting timber. now where to find 50 or 60 magnets,mmmmm??

7

You know how they jig up to build a boat?

a couple of sawhorses and two 2x6’s parallel attached to the sawhorses

then they attach the bulkheads to the parallel beams

then skin it and remove from the beams and flip and do the decking

couldnt the same princple be utillized only copy the rocker of the board to the beams so the bulkheads

align as needed to produce the desired rocker curve, of course you would start upside down and do the hull then when thats done flip and do the deck then finnish

I see all these threads showing the elaborate jigs and I wonder ,Why?

If your going to mass produce I can understand why you would want a solid reusable fixture, but if your only doing one offs

then ,Why not keep it simple and cheap

8

i came up with a very simple solution that only took an hour or so but i left my camera at work so ill have to get back to you with the results. gotta love the magnet idea though. re-usable for every board…

9

Hey Shifty I use a 2x4 frame for my rocker table and as a building jig. A little wider than your board and the same spacing as your ribs. (12" space between ribs= 12" center on the 2x4 rungs). Just block up for your rocker or clamp onto the 2x4s.

The first pic has 2 boards on it. I agree why do 1 when 2 is twice the fun. Mike

10

Boy it makes me nervous when someone named SHIFTY is talking about jigs…the two don’t go together, do they? And all those pieces, can’t i get those in plastic at the crafts store? OY!

11

hey thats a crazy looking workshop. and a nice looking board.

this is what i came up with. nice and simple. thanks all for the ideas…

i just super glued all these little blocks of craftwood to the ply base to hold it all in place…

the other problem i came across is all the ply i used for the ribs and stringer kind of flew to bits when i cut it all out with the jigsaw. would glassing it before cutting it out help or should i look for a better product to use? if so what?

cheers again…

12

Cutting thin ply with a jig saw can be a pain. High quality ply is ideal, don’t use the “rocker” setting on the jigsaw and get the right blade. We use a lot of 3mm ply and have no trouble with it.

Sharp blade and go slowly should work. Glassing it first will help but rapidly makes the blade blunt unless you use a metal cutting blade.

13

cheers for the info. when you say high quality ply, what do you mean? marine ply?..

14

Marine ply is best as it is made with durable timber and should not have any voids in the laminates. An odd number of thin veneers is always best (the 5mm ply we use has 5 veneers, you can get it with 3 veneers but the middle one is usually “cake”). However there are many great plywoods that are not specifically marine grade. Finnish birch ply is fantastic.

Best we get is Brynzeel / okume ply.

Rik